Emergency workers in nearly half of California counties will be practicing for a catastrophic flood this week — a drill given added urgency by the once-in-a-generation flooding in the Mississippi River delta 2,300 miles to the east.
The reason for the drill is clear: Similar devastation has struck before, and federal officials have determined that California’s capital has the highest flood risk of any U.S. city outside New Orleans.
“We’ve got the potential for a mass evacuation if the worst conditions present themselves,” said Mike Dayton, acting secretary of the California Emergency Management Agency.
Residents need only turn on their televisions to see the sort of disruption and devastation that could occur on just a few days’ notice, he said. If conditions are just right, even the state’s complex system of dams, flood gates and overflow areas might not be able to contain flood waters.
More than 1,100 miles of levees built more than a century ago to create farmland in the Sacramento River delta are vulnerable ... Read more: http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2011/05/18/199130.htm
This article is a reminder that you may need to have Flood Insurance. Many people don't realize that they are not covered under their Homeowners policy. Contact us for a free no obligation quote at (800) 807-6871 today!